Comedy Scrapbook

 I performed standup comedy for about 10 years in the late 70's and 80's..  During that time I performed in over 300 nightclubs, colleges, television shows, the Goldenrod Showboat, and private organizations in the United States and Canada.  I performed traditional stand-up comedy, wrote and sang song parodies, and did some funny magic and prop bits.  I also was co-manager and talent booker for the comedy shoes at Doug's Body Shop, along with my close friend Bill Thomas.  My comedy career began at the open mike night at the Delta Lady in Ferndale, Michigan.  3 months after I began doing stand-up I was offered paid work on the weekends at the Delta Lady, and shortly after that, the Comedy Castle.

Below are pictures of some of the headliners I opened for while I was a comic.  Note: George Lopez was just starting out.  When we met he was still doing open mike nights, and hadn't decided to go into comedy full time.  By a strange coincidence, we discovered we lived on the same block in Mission Hills, CA.  We went to the Comedy Store together, among other clubs.  

Besides performing comedy, I wrote jokes for Joan Rivers and Rodney Dangerfield, taught courses in performing, writing, and selling comedy, and authored a book, "Five Tight Minutes" based on my experiences.  In addition, I was a free-lance writer, and had a weekly column in the Highlands Today edition of the Tampa Tribune. 

OPENING ACT FOR:  Bob Saget, Gary Shandling, George Lopez, Jim Carey, Kathleen Madigan, Pat Paulsen, The Amazing Jonathan, Tim Allen, and Paul Riser, to name a few. 

                                                                     

The last real comedy work I did was as emcee of a show put on 

by my wife's chorus while we lived in Avon Park, Florida.  Here

is a brief clip of that show.  Prior to that I occasionally performed 

bits from my comedy act during the 7 years I worked at Heritage

of Hawk Ridge in Lake St. Louis, as their activities director.  The second video was recorded at Chesterfield Villas, in Chesterfield. I

was the Assistant Director there, and put together a staff talent

show for the residents.  That night my son Ben approached the

stage while I was performing, and you'll see my reaction.

Heart of Highlands Chorus Show - February 2011

Chesterfield Villas Staff Talent Show

June 1989